Workers Sue Restaurant Group After Sudden Closure: Report

Employees with a trendy chain of restaurants and bars that suddenly ceased operations Monday night have filed a federal lawsuit demanding lost wages, according to media reports.

The Here To Serve restaurant group, with 10 eateries throughout metro Atlanta, did not open for business Tuesday, leaving about 1,000 servers, bartenders, cooks and other personnel without jobs. The group include Prime, Strip, Noche, Twist, Smash Kitchen, Coast Seafood, and Shucks Oyster and Wine Bar.

More than 70 employees have filed the lawsuit, which alleges that the owners of Here To Serve violated the Fair Labor and Standards Act by failing to pay employees for work in September and October, WXIA-TV Channel 11 (11Alive News) reported. Employees told 11Alive News they were not warned about the shutdown and that promises to make payroll haven’t been fulfilled.

The lawsuit also alleges that Here To Serve failed to provide 60 days notice to its employees before closing down, as required by federal law. On Thursday night, the restaurant group began handing out partial paychecks to some workers, 11Alive News reported.

But the attorney for the plaintiffs said even if employees receive full paychecks, the lawsuit will proceed because Herte To serve failed to give 60 days’ notice. To check out the lawsuit, click here.